Verona Forum: Paris 14-15-/4/1994 - Is there anything we can still expect from Europe? Answer us, please!

VERONA FORUM FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION ON THE TERRITORY OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA:  "IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN STILL EXPECT FROM EUROPE? ANSWER US, PLEASE!"

 

PARIS, APRIL 14-15,1994 - PALAIS DE CONGRES / PORTE MAILLOT

(Thursday, 15h - Friday 18,30h)

Democrats from all over former Yugoslavia are addressing Europe - Convention before the 1994 European elections

draft appeal

Former Yugoslavia continues to be ravaged by war, terror, ethnic blackmail and cleansing, intimidation, and threatened by extension of war. Democracy based on universal and equal civil rights, tolerance and a state of law is still far away. Nevertheless, political, ethnic and religious pluralism and peaceful co-existence are preconditions to the integration of the entire region in a united Europe.

 

The effort to attain and expand ethnically homogeneous states has shown the full extent of its dangerous nature. Europe has remained on the sidelines without taking any effective action, as citizens have been set at loggerheads, cities besieged and bombed, regions invaded, and people terrorised, driven from their homes, raped and murdered. The democrats, who have existed and still exist in all

parts of former Yugoslavia, have been shamelessly abandoned, while the warlords have been recognized as representatives of their people. Even the most generous humanitarian efforts of countless citizens, volunteer aid workers, private and official agencies, which we acknowledge with deep gratitude, were able only just to provide some relief, without ending the suffering or restoring justice.

 

The path to a peaceful unification of Europe under a common democratic roof is extremely imperilled by such ominous events, and not just in the Balkans. The elections for a new European Parliament will have a surrealistic air, if democracy in many regions of our continent is being betrayed even by European institutions themselves.

 

As democratic citizens from all the countries, nationalities and ethnic groups of former Yugoslavia, we are turning to the democrats of Europe to ask them to answer a few of our most urgent questions, to listen to our most important appeals, so that democracy may flourish again and war be ended and its extension prevented.

 

So we urge:

 

* Re-opening of communications in our entire region: (telephone, post, road, rail, airports, press, incoming, outgoing and transit travel)

 

* A broad, energetic information offensive: radio and television stations, including those broadcasting from abroad, must give all people in former Yugoslavia the opportunity to learn the truth in their own language; free and critical media must be given massive support; a new European radio-TV-station "Democratic Europe" is needed

 

* Reception of all conscientious objectors abroad irrespective of the army or militia which they refuse to serve, for as long as war rages in the region

 

* Security and defence of all threatened cities by deploying international troops under UN command; surrender of all heavy weapons; international guarantee of established borders unless changes are peacefully agreed upon; strengthening of the civilian and military presence of the United Nations in the entire region

 

* Effective international support for the International Tribunal established by the United Nations for the punishment of crimes against humanity in former Yugoslavia; immediate opening of trials, so that the credibility of international law and personal l responsibility for all crimes can be restored

 

* Ensuring humanitarian aid for all populations in need, with priority to those areas where different ethnic groups live together in peace

 

* Recognition of equal minority and ethnic group rights in all parts of former Yugoslavia, in all states and for all nationalities; support autonomous regions and municipalities and cooperation among them; right of those expelled and of refugees to return and implementation of a concrete repatriation plan

 

* Timely steps to lessen tension and restore lawful and democratic relations in Kosovo, Vojvodina, Sandjak and all occupied parts of Croatia under international supervision; application of the UN Charter on transitional administration or trusteeship in order to restore democratic self-government

 

* Measures to support democrats in Serbia / Montenegro and in Croatia (media freedom; impartial judiciary; selective use of sanctions to prevent them from being counter-productive...)

 

* Consolidation of sovereignity, integrity of the country and democracy in Macedonia

 

* Re-opening of a peace conference on a new basis, with the involvement of new partners and mediators; no division of Bosnia - Hercegovina along ethnic lines, no recognition of war attainments, global securing of peace in all parts of former Yugoslavia, recognition and international support for democrats and peace-minded groups in the region

 

* Preparation of a CSCE-like "Helsinki Process" for South-Eastern Europe, striving for democracy, peace, regional cooperation and prosperity in the Balkans: the "Conference on stability" ("Balladur-Pact"), to be held in Paris at the end of April, must envisage such a perspective;

 

* A generous and very exceptional offer by the European Union: a special Association status for the whole territory of the former Yugoslavia in order to promote reconstruction and peaceful re-integration of society through close links with the European Union.

 

Hopefully it may not be too late, after all, to turn things around. This, however, requires an immediate and clear change of the policy pursued hitherto.

 

May we hope that democrats in Europe will ask their politicians to answer seriously our proposals and questions? This may well be the last chance to link the hope for a lawful and democratic order with the concept of united Europe!